Round-the-Clock Purple and Gold

NBA suspends Lakers Coach Mike Brown for one game

February 6, 2012 | 10:13
am

Two days after Mike Brown bumped a referee, the NBA pushed back.

The league suspended the Lakers coach for one game without pay and fined him $25,000 on Monday for making contact with referee Zach Zarba in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 96-87 loss to Utah on Saturday.

Brown will serve the suspension on Monday when the Lakers play Philadelphia on a road visit to Wells Fargo Center, leaving assistant John Kuester to coach the team.

Brown made contact with Zarba after becoming upset with a no-call on Utah guard Earl Watson, who had knocked over the Lakers' Pau Gasol while making a steal that led to a dunk by Derrick Favors. Brown was assessed two technicals and ejected.

Favors' dunk was part of a 14-0 run that allowed the Jazz to pull away and handed the Lakers their eighth defeat in 11 road games.

Brown apologized to his players afterward but said he did not think his ejection cost his team the game.